After our visit to Butchart Gardens, we returned to Victoria where we had dinner and took in
the sights. Victoria is a gorgeous city. It was nice to get to see it again so soon after my visit in
early July (see Delicate Balance delivery pictures). It would be great to visit Victoria and spend
enough time there to get to know the city a little better.
We dined at a wonderful Caribbean style restaurant near the waterfront. Then strolled
around a little, watched the sunset, and the street performers. Donna and Spencer even got to
use the bathroom in the Empress Hotel. We stayed out pretty late trying to absorb as much of
Victoria as we could before leaving the following morning.
The next day we drove up to Swartz Bay in Sydney and caught the Tsawwassen ferry back to
the mainland. We had to catch everything right and get back across the border as fast as possible
so we could get to Bellingham in time for me to attend the skippers meeting. While I was busy
with that, Donna and the boys went grocery shopping to try to outfit the boat for the two
weeks that we would be out.
I say try because there was no way that Donna could buy enough of
all the right things (with enough snacks for Spencer) to make it for the two weeks. But she gave it
a try.
After I finished checking out the boat, it was time to move everything
aboard. When all that
was done, we had reached the point when I had to return the now beloved Expedition to Hertz. Sigh...
It was a long day.
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Dining at Santiago's.. Spencer with one of his many cheeze pizzas. Donna and I hitting the wine. |
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View of the marina in front of the Empress Hotel. Very different from when I was here earlier in the month with Delicate Balance |
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The parliament building. Someday I am going to have to go inside. |
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Straight in front of the camera was where Delicate Balance was parked when we stopped here. |
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Santiago's rich Carrabian color scheme. The food was as awesome as were the colors. |
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I just can't get enough pictures of the Expedition. Probably cuz I will likely never get to drive one again. |
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Boarding the ferry - these ferries are miracles. You just wouldn't believe how many cars they can fit on one of these. And this was a big one so it was extra amazing. |
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Lift off |
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Leaving Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal and Vancouver Island |
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Some of the passenger seating |
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Donna trying to finish her book in spite of Spencer and me |
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The obligatory ferry masthead picture |
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The obligatory ferry smokestack picture |
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Jack standing next to the life ring so we would remember which ferry we took. This one was the Spirit of British Columbia. It was huge! |
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The obligatory bow wave picture. It's hard not to take pictures of these things. It's all pretty awesome. |
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This is Portluck Point lighthouse (see close up) on Prevost Island. We later sailed through here on the second to last day of our charter (two weeks later) and took more pictures. |
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The ferry coming in the opposite direction through Active Pass |
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I can't quite read the name of the other ferry. I think it's Spirit of Vancouver Island |
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Looking over the bow watches shoulder as we navigate through Active Pass |
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Jack and I hanging out on the bow with the smokers |
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Disembarking from the ferry |
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Down the ramp... |
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LAND!!! |